Takamatsu udon · Udon in Takamatsu
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Udon in Takamatsu
Udon in Takamatsu
Takamatsu is extremely well-known throughout Japan for its udon, one of the three major types of Japanese noodle dishes. Udon noodles are distinctive in that they are white, fairly thick, and chewy.
Kagawa Prefecture is famous for this food, and the type made within the prefecture is sometimes called Sanuki udon, 'Sanuki' being Kagawa's name before the modern era. While this can be considered a regional specialty of Kagawa, the Sanuki variety is so widely-loved throughout Japan that it is often thought of as the 'normal' type, and is what most people imagine when they hear the word 'udon'. Despite udon being so widespread, Takamatsu does it better and cheaper than anywhere else in the country. There are literally hundreds of udon shops within the city limits. Because local foods are often a driving force in Japanese tourism, many people flock to the city for the udon, often doing "chain-eating" tours around the city to famous shops.
Udon is an extremely budget-friendly food, and it's a simple but tasty item that is easy to eat even for those who don't especially take to Japanese food, so travelers should make an effort to at udon at least once while in Takamatsu.
The average Takamatsu udon shop has a variety of udon dishes available. These are some of the standard types:
Kake udon ? (Hot) The most basic variety. The noodles come in a hot dashi and soy-flavored broth and will likely have sliced onions thrown in. Some places may also add a slice of kamaboko (fish sausage) as well. You're likely to have a pinch of ginger added to the broth.
Kitsune udon ? (Hot) Like kake udon, but with a large slab of fried tofu in the bowl.
Tempura udon ? (Hot) Also like kake udon, but with a some tempura thrown in for good measure. Typically the tempura will be shrimp plus a vegetable or two, however at the cheapest places the tempura will be kaki-age, a vegetable-shrimp patty.
Kama'age udon ? (Hot) Identical to zaru udon in manner of eating, however noodles come hot instead of cold. As far as taste is concerned, it's quite similar to kake udon.
Zaru udon ? (Cold) Cold noodles come on a wooden tray. From there, you pick them up, dip them into a soy-based broth that comes with the dish, and then eat.
There are many more types ? different toppings (raw egg, for example) lead to different names. It's rare for a typical bowl of udon to exceed �1000, and not uncommon for the simpler types to hover around �400. �100 bowls are even available at some places. Feel free to ask locals about good udon shops ? they are sure to know some.
Tsurumaru (手打ちうどん 鶴丸), 古馬場町9-34 (About halfway between Kataharamachi Station and Kawaramachi Station on the road running along the Kotoden Line.), ☎ +81 087 821-3780. 11AM-2PM, 8PM-3AM. One of the more noteworthy udon shops in town. Specializes in curry udon. An English menu is available. ¥400-1200 per bowl. (34.342497,134.05237)�
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Takamatsu Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.